The Truth Hurts
by lancecomwar
Summary: Sometimes, it's better to just live a lie. After the truth of the Cell Games comes out, the world has to come to grips with what had happened.
1. Chapter 1

This is a story I wrote a while back that I deleted for one reason or another but it was requested to be returned so here it is again. I tried to make it be more philosophical and shit, but I probably failed. Still, enjoy or whatever.

* * *

There is nothing Videl Satan hates more than lies. To her, people who hide behind masks must have something to hide and thus should not be trusted.

Take her, for example. She was Videl Satan, daughter of the World Savior; all her life had been showboated in front of the cameras, on display for the whole world to see. While the fame and paparazzi often got annoying, she comforted herself with the knowledge that the world should know its heroes before it could trust them.

Not like that "Great Saiyaman" who showed up in Satan City a short while back. That loser in a trashcan used cheap tricks and light shows to show crime (a job, mind you, previously belonging to Videl). Sure, the weirdo had done some good, and the streets had never been safer; bow how could the people ever truly trust someone hiding behind a mask?

Then there was the matter of Son Gohan, the nerd who showed up the same day as the "Gold Fighter", another trickster vigilante, wearing the same exact clothes. While most people had all but forgotten about that blonde crime fighter, Videl could not get over the fact that the Great Saiyaman showed up later that day, nor how Gohan acted all nervous when his similarities to the Gold Fighter were pointed out.

Nevertheless, most of the school had merely brushed him off as just another nerd, and though he was definitively a geek, Videl just could not shake off the feeling that there was more to him. She did not forget how he broke the laws of physics to catch a baseball fifty feet in the air his first day of class, nor how he supposedly traveled hundreds of miles to and from school every single day. To top it all off, the kid always seemed jumpy, especially around her; Videl knew enough about interrogations to know when someone had something to hide, and Son Gohan was definitely hiding something.

Was Gohan Saiyaman? They both had similar mannerisms, such as placing their hands behind their heads when they were nervous. Not only that, but only a nerd like Gohan would think the "Great Saiyaman" was cool. What's more, Gohan would always rush out of class on extended bathroom breaks whenever Saiyaman was doing her job. Plus, Gohan seemed like he might be smart enough to know how to pull off all of those tricks, feats that she had to admit were impressive even if fake.

One thing was for sure, however: She _would _figure out the truth, no matter what.

* * *

"X equals five."

The teacher blinked in surprise while Gohan rolled his eyes, turning his attention away from the "complex" calculus problem and back towards the window. He knew that showing the teacher up like he just did would mean he would not be bothered for the rest of class.

'_'I'm starting to wonder why I wanted to go to school and be around kids my own age. I mean, they're just... KIDS!_' Gohan thought bitterly, losing his patience for his peers._'They don't know anything about the real world or think for themselves. They just follow whatever their Lord and Master, Hercule Satan, says. I know I let him take the credit for saving Cell, but I swear, it's like he's a freaking god to these people!'_

The frustrated Saiyan turned his attention to the perfect example of a devotee of the Church of Satan: Sharpener Johnson, ace student at Satan's Dojo. As if that meant anything; the school of Satan was designed from the ground up for it's creator, a seven foot tall musclehead. They're called Martial _Arts_ for a reason; you can't just mass produce a fighting style for the masses. To be truly strong, one must dedicate themselves to the art, crafting their own unique techniques tailor made to their own advantages.

Listen to Sharpener or any of the other brainwashed disciples of Satan, however, and you'd think that a few hours at the gym after class learning the Satan school of fighting would make them stronger than methods of training centuries old. All it would take would be a few days of training in the Turtle style and you would easily be able to beat any Satan fighter; however, no fighter would dare try anything different. The mere notion that Satan was not the strongest fighter in the world would ostracize oneself from the world.

Gohan wouldn't have minded everyone's blind faith in the Prince of Lies if they didn't always try to rub it in everyone's faces. Sharpener would always proudly display his "beefcakes", chastising Gohan and other "scrawny" nerds for not having any visible muscles. That's not even taking into account his constant flirting and lame pick-up attempts directed at his friend, Videl. It was obvious that Sharpener was only interested in her because she was Hercule's daughter, and Videl clearly was not interested in him, but she always put up with it. Perhaps she liked the attention? After all, fame and recognition was all anybody cared about in this post-Satan world.

The bored student then turned his attention to Videl's other friend, the ever bubbly Erasa. While she was always nice and happy, she always seemed to live off her friend's fame, proudly bragging that she was the best friend of the daughter of Mr. Satan. It seemed like she was always surrounded by hangers on desperate to get into Videl's inner group of friends, gladly chatting and going on dates with people only interested in her because of her friend. None of them ever got too close, though; she'd always gently let them off and move on to another one. Oddly enough, the only person she ever let into their group of friends was Gohan, the one person who was not even trying to do so.

Then there was Videl herself... Gohan would be lying if he said he was not attracted to her. She was fairly attractive, even when angry (which seemed like it was all of the time). His Saiyan blood was attracted by her strength, the highest of any non ki using human. She clearly also had a knack for justice, constantly putting her own life in danger to help others. It was a shame, then, that she would always live in the shadow of her father. No matter how many robberies she stopped or lives she saved, she would never be remembered as more than Mr. Satan's daughter, just an extension of his cult of personality.

Not that she even seemed to mind it. She talked about her father more than anyone else. No, she was Mr. Satan's daughter and proud of it. To Gohan, this was a shame, as Videl was a legitimate hero but would not let herself break free of her father's lie.

Her constant interrogations of Gohan and his alternate identity have proven devastating to hi nerves, and her disregard for his privacy has resulted in panic attacks that only served to fuel her suspicions. Regardless, Gohan knew he could not tell her the truth, not about himself, nor Cell, nor her father.

After all, the truth hurts.

* * *

Sighing, Gohan slouched back in his chair. His gentle peace was disturbed by a sudden intrusion into his mind, causing him to fall back to the laughter of his peers.

_'Gohan, get to the Lookout. NOW.'_

Disregarding the laughter directed at him, Gohan's face paled at the possible reasons Piccolo would demand hi presence at the lookout, all of which had terrifying consequences. Gathering his wits, he shouted, "Bathroom!" at his teacher as he rushed out, leaving the poor old man shaking his head. These bathroom trips occurred way too often to be healthy.

Videl, meanwhile, raised an eyebrow at the class nerd's departure. _'That;s strange... he usually only seems to leave when I'm gone. Maybe he's just trying to throw me off? Well, nice try, 'Saiyaman'. I'm still on to you...'_

* * *

The frightened warrior blasted of toward the Lookout as fast as possible, terrified at the potential reasons Piccolo would order him to the Lookout. _'Could it be another threat to the Earth?That has to be it. Why else would Piccolo be so urgent? Then again, I hope I'm wrong...'_

He was now closing in on the Lookout, and could feel the Kis of the other Z-fighters- Vegeta, Krillin, Yamcha and Tien- fast approaching. _'This can't be good,'_ Gohan gulped.

One by one, Earth's protectors landed on the floating platform, where the two Namekians and their faithful servant, Mr. Popo, awaited them.

As soon as he landed, Vegeta snapped, "Alright, Green Beans. Speak."

The young Guardian of the Earth, Dende, almost whispered, "We just got some bad news from Otherworld".

* * *

"Damn, Nerd Boy needs to see a doctor or something," Sharpener grinned, leaning back in his chair as the class waited for their next teacher to arrive.

"Oh, come on, Sharpie, lay off Gohan, will you?" Erasa rolled her eyes.

"Oh, come on! Guy's a living joke. Why do you guys even hang out with that losely Satan hater? I mean, you got guys like me around," he added, not so subtly placing his arm around Videl's shoulder.

Absentmindedly shrugging him off, Videl couldn't help but see his point. Gohan seemed to be the only person in the world who didn't worship the ground she or her father walked on. While this was... refreshing, it only served to add to her suspicions about the boy.

There was just something up with him. He never seemed to care about his image or status, obliviously ignoring the taunts and teasing from her father's students in the hallways. What kind of guy would just ignore what everyone thought of him like that?

A gasp echoed throughout the room. In the mind's eye of everyone in the classroom, and indeed everyone in the world, was the unmistakeable visage of the most despicable monster of all time.

"Greetings, citizens of Earth. I am Cell, the perfect being, as well as the bringer of your destruction."

* * *

"Cell managed to escape Hell?" Gohan's eyes were widened in terror. He knew that Cell's ultimate form after his "death" was more powerful than he was during their climatic battle; indeed, it was only Vegeta's sneak attack which allowed the combined power of Gohan and his father to overcome the creature's immense strength. Gohan was no fool, he had been keeping up with his training over the past seven years; still, who knew just how much more powerful Cell had gotten in Hell?

Dende dimly nodded. "Yes, your father tried but failed to stop his escape attempt, and as soon as he escaped to the outer Otherworld he was able to use Instant Transmission to escape back to Earth. We have been trying to locate him, but he is as skilled at hidng his ki as ever."

Yamcha, looking as pale as a ghost, managed to stutter out, "B-but, Gohan and Vegeta should be able to beat him... Right?"

Taking a deep breath, Vegeta mentally prepared himself for what he was about to say. This would take all of his strength.

"No," he grunted, to the surprise of everyone in the group. "We all know Kakabrat is the only one amongst us who stands a chance against that abomination."

"W-what?" Gohan was, needless to say, shocked, :"Are you saying you're not strong enough?"

Shaking out of anger, both at the boy and himself, Vegeta snapped,"Oh, shut up! I'm not blind to the truth! You're stronger than me, you're the only one who can defeat that thing!" Without a second glance, the Prince of all Saiyans huffed off to the edge of the Lookout, leaving the rest of the Earth's Protectors gawking.

_'I can't believe it's come to this,'_ Vegeta lamented, staring at the azure skies of the world he now called home. _'Me, the Prince of all Saiyans, standing down to let some third class halfbreed fight. But I suppose there is no denying it. Gohan is stronger than me. And somethings,' _he sighed, thinking of two in particular, _'are more important than honor or glory.'_

Gohan could hardly believe his ears. Vegeta, Prince Prideful, admitting he was not strong enough? Sure, Gohan knew it was the truth, that he was stronger than Vegeta. But to hear Vegeta say it? That was not something he nor anyone else who knew the man, would ever think they'd hear.

"Well then, Gohan," Dende broke the silence, reminding everyone of the crises. "Now we just need to find-"

The young guardian was cut off by the image of their foe invading their minds, his cruel smile taunting them.

"Greetings, citizens of Earth. I am Cell, the perfect being, as well as the bringer of your destruction. Seven years ago, one amongst you managed to defeat me. However, not even the gates of Hell could contain me, and I," he cracked a cruel grin as he raised his fist to the sky, "have returned!"

* * *

Throughout the world, life came to a halt as terror-struck citizens were fearful of their imminent demise. It was all they could do to hope and pray that their hero would once again came and save them.

* * *

"It's over, it's all over... The money, the fame, the women..." Hercule rocked himself in a fetal position, safely locked away in a basement where none of his servants would be able to find him. "The parties, the fans, the food..." He listed off everything he was about to lose, not even registering that the Earth itself was in danger.

"Oh god, it's all over... God help me..."

* * *

"I shall grant you one last chance," Cell's face curved into a taunting smirk, enjoying the fear he felt emitting from the farthest corners of the globe. "Send the warrior who bested me seven years ago here, at the site of our last duel. Here," he raised his fist in the air, "we shall determine who is truly the most Perfect being in the universe! Oh," he lowered his hand, his face contorting into its previous twisted smirk, "By the way, you have one hour. If you are not here- alone- within the hour... I'll turn this miserable rock to dust." With that, he threw his head back in laughter, every person on Earth forced to watch in terror.

His laughter soon subsided, and soon the image of Cell smirking was sketched into the minds of every person on Earth as he awaited his opponent.

"Don't worry," Sharpener stuttered, trying desperately to hide his fear. "Mr. Satan will come and save us... right, Videl?"

Videl turned to her friend, trying in a futile attempt to shake Cell's lingering smile from her mind. "Right," she managed to say, despite her doubt. "He'll save the day, just you watch..."

* * *

"Wow, is Gohan really going to beat that bad man, mommy?" Goten jumped up and down, excited at the prospect of seeing his big brother save the world.

Chichi, meanwhile, was more worried, shivering in fear in her chair. Still, her youngest son's unwavering faith in his big brother helped calm her nerves.

"Y-yes!" she forced a grin, gathering up all of her courage. "Gohan will beat that monster! Don't worry, he'll save the day, just you watch..."

* * *

"Are you ready for this, kid?" Piccolo asked.

"Not like I have a choice," Gohan retorted, forced a chuckle.

"Green Bean and I will be standing ready with Sensus," Vegeta spoke up, stepping up to his fellow Saiyan. "Gohan," he began, summoning up all his courage. "I want you to know that despite all that I have told you," he took a deep breath, trying to force himself to overcome his pride, "... You are a true warrior. The pride and strength of a Saiyan," he nodded, finally putting into words what he had realized all those years ago. "... but the heart of a human. And that is why I have never been able to beat you." He placed his hand on the speechless Demi-Saiyan's shoulder, shocking the boy even more at the endearing gesture.

"Now go. Go and save the goddamn world."

Giving an honest smile, Gohan nodded. "Right. Thanks, Vegeta." Accepting the grunt as a "You're Welcome," the young warrior took a deep breath. "Ok... Let's do this!"

_'Where is he?'_ Videl wondered, trying to focus her attention on the clock and not on Cell's never wavering smirk. _'It's been forty five minutes already. Dad knows he needs to be there in fifteen minutes, right?'_

As if on cue, the cool smile of Cell finally changed, as the monster's face jerked up in recognition.

"I was beginning to wonder if you'd even bother showing up," Cell quipped before turning around, revealing an unexpected sight. "It's been a long time... Gohan."

"Go...han?" Videl gasped, her mind racing.

Oh, how the truth hurts.


	2. Chapter 2

"What's Gohan doing there?" Erasa's asked, her eyes as wide as everyone else in the room.

"That- that can't be nerd boy! Nerd boy doesn't have muscles like that!" Sharpener stuttered, amazed at finally seeing Gohan in something other than his normal "dorky" outfit. Now that Gohan was wearing a bright orange, sleeveless gi, his muscles he worked so hard to hide were now displayed to the world at large.

Not that the fact that the class nerd had muscles was even registering in most people's minds. No, the fact that the class nerd was staring down the enemy of mankind while Earth's Savior was nowhere to be seen was dominating their thoughts.

"Huh... where's dad?" Videl whispered to herself. She had grown to believe in her father's lie completely, so much so that she was still unable to come to terms with the truth.

After all, the truth hurt.

* * *

"My, my, Gohan! How you've grown," Cell chided, his smug smirk in stark contrast to his foe's hateful glare. "You look almost nothing like that boy from all those years ago."

"I can kill you just the same," the warrior retorted, causing Cell to let out a small chuckle.

"Oh, what's this? You're not going to offer me a chance to repent? You're just going straight to murder? My, my. How you've changed."

"I'm not going to make the same mistake twice," Gohan replied coldly, his eyes burning with an uncharacteristic hatred.

"Why, of course not. After all," Cell taunted, his face contorting into a cruel and inhuman smile "Daddy's not here to save you if you fail this time, is he now?"

At this, a cloud of energy erupted around the boy, his foe's words drawing out the desired anger. Cell watched as his opponent's ki rose dramatically, his self control slowly fading away.

_'No, I can't give in to my rage.'_ Gohan realized what he was doing, trying to control himself before he could give in. _'Not this time.'_

His ki lowered itself as Gohan reasserted his control over his strength. Satisfied with his restraint, he returned his gaze to the annoyed Cell.

"Well, it would appear as if though you've been able to achieve some restraint," he sighed, shaking his head. "But no matter. After all," he smirked, "how could you possibly hope defeat me without giving in to your rage?"

"Because I have something to fight for," came Gohan's reply.

Tossing his head back, Cell let out a loud laugh. "Oh? And what would that be? You fight for a world that hates and reviles you. A world that would leave you to rot as it showers praise upon some buffoon, only to be forgotten. Is that _truly _the world you fight for?"

The reply was almost instantaneous. "No. I fight..." Gohan clenched his fists, moving into his battle stance. "I fight so that I may see the smile on my little brother's face."

Cell stared at his opponent for a few seconds before letting out another laugh. "Oh, my, that's rich! Fighting for your little brother's smile, eh?" Shaking his head, Cell calmed himself down. "Well then, why don't you show me just how much that smile is worth?" With that, he lowered himself into his battle stance.

"With pleasure," Gohan replied, staring straight into the eyes of his most hated enemy.

* * *

Mr. Satan took a big gulp out of his beer can before tossing it aside, right next to the other empty cans bearing his face. It was finally getting to the point now that he was able to block out the sight of his life crumbling before his eyes. Still, it was not yet enough, and so he grabbed yet another can of Satan Ale.

* * *

"WOW! Did you hear that, mommy? Gohan said he's fighting for me! Oh, wow, Big Brother is so cool!" Goten exclaimed as jumped up and down in excitement quite possibly the only person on Earth not frightened about what he was seeing.

His raw optimism was certainly helping his mother out. Chichi always hated the fact that first her husband and now her son always had to defend the Earth against any threats, and although she knew that it was something they had to do, she was never able to stop worrying about them when they were of fighting god knows what. Still, it was even more troublesome to be forced to watch as they faced their imminent doom, unable to look away. Chichi might have lost it when she saw Gohan fighting, but her youngest son's unwavering faith and naivety was enough to help her overcome her fear enough to have some hope.

"Yes, Goten. Gohan's going to send that monster straight back to HFIL!" Chichi told her son, now believing fully in her son.

_'Go get him, Gohan.'_

* * *

During the exchange between the two figures in his mind's eye, Sharpener struggled to comprehend what was occurring.

_'This has to be some kind of dream... There's no way nerd boy could go be so buff and go up against Cell. 'Sides, the Champ beat that freak years ago. This is just some weird, freaky dream I'll wake up from soon, it has to be...'_

His friend, Erasa, was also convinced this was a dream- albeit, not for the same reasons.

_'Wow... Who would have thought that Gohan was hiding those muscles beneath those clothes? No, no, no! There's no way someone with that body would hide it like that, you're just dreaming because you want him to be as sexy as he is cute. You'll wake up soon, you'll see...'_

Videl, meanwhile, was struggling to even think, let alone come to an understanding of the events flowing before her eyes. Here mind was a kin to the vacuum of space, devoid of logic or reasoning. Deep down in the inner workings of her mind, she could see her world crashing all around her.

And she was unable to look away.

* * *

"Still unable to get a reading on his ki,.. You think Gohan can do it?" Piccolo asked his flying compatriot.

Vegeta scoffed. "He damn well better. I gave up my pride for that brat."

Piccolo smirked at the comment, despite the circumstances.

"Cell still has his halo, meaning he still is technically dead... So if Gohan wins here, then Cell's very existence would fade." Piccolo took this good news for what it was worth.

"Hmph, you'd think that someone as perfect as he would have thought to use the Dragonballs to restore himself to life," Vegeta scoffed, happy that the egomaniac wasn't as perfect as he made himself out to be.

"Even if he did, Dende made it so that the Dragonballs couldn't bring back people from Hell. At any rate, should Gohan beat Cell here and now, that would be the end of him, once and for all."

_'Hang in there, kid. You're the only one who can protect the Earth now...'_

* * *

The two heated foes glared at each other, Gohan's face filled with hatred, Cell's with confidence and superiority. The world watched in confusion, waiting for the two to make their move.

Gohan was the first to break the silence. He began charging up energy, an aura of light surrounding him as his body was filled with pain.

It always hurt to become a Super Saiyan. Physically, the pain was excruciating, but that wasn't what bothered Gohan. He was used to that kind of pain.

The Super Saiyan transformation was drive by anger. Every time he turned Super, he had to reawaken the anger in him. In order to do so, he was forced to relive all the painful memories. All the times he was too weak to protect others

He relived watching in fear as Yamcha, Chiaotzu and Tien gave their lives in a futile attempt to stop Nappa and Vegeta.

He was forced to witness Piccolo throwing himself in the way for a blast meant for him while he cowered in fear.

He recalled his rage and utter helpless as he Hid on top of a cliff with Krillin, watching Frieza's men butcher an entire village of Namekians.

He remembered standing helplessly as his friend, Dende, was murdered by that sadistic tyrant.

He agonized once more as Frieza nearly killed Piccolo once again and turned Krillin into nothing more than dust.

He recalled his fury at himself, believing he had not trained enough to stop the Andoids from killing everyone in their wake.

He had to see himself foolishly try to reason with the despicable demon standing in front of him, trying with all his will to not have to fight while his friends were being tortured all around him.

But most of all, he remembered Android 16's smile when he told him to let it go, to give everything to protect life. Android 16, despite never being fully capable of fully comprehending life, loved it perhaps more than anyone else on the Earth. It was then that he truly realized what he was fighting for, what he was destined to do. He had to protect life, no matter what. With that his rage was at last released.

And that brought the most painful memory of all. His sorrow and self hatred as he failed once more, his father having to step in and sacrifice himself.

Within only a few minutes, a lifetime of death and sorrow took over his mind. The sheer agony as he witnessed all of his failures flash before his eyes was a pain unlike any other, one which he could only hope no one else would ever have to experience. No, he knew no one would ever have to experience the pain he experienced.

He would not let them. This time, he would protect everyone.

* * *

The world watched in awe. The mysterious boy who challenged the enemy of humanity had been screaming, as if in pain, for nearly an entire minute now. Every person on Earth could almost feel the torment his body was going under, knew that the pain was real and not merely some trick, even if they had no idea how or why. They merely knew that this strange boy was screaming in agony, while sparks seemed to circle around his body.

Then, one final scream, and it was finally over. His previously raven hair was now a pure golden hue, his muscles somehow more pronounced then they were previously.

_'Gohan's the Gold Fighter?'_

* * *

"Hm, I see you haven't been slacking off, my dear boy," Cell nodded his approval."Good. It would seem I'll get a decent fight out of you yet. But I must warn you," he taunted, his ever present smirk continuing to taunt his foe, "I am much more powerful than I was all those years ago. Permit me to show you!"And, with that, he threw the first blow.

* * *

_'Ok, I REALLY need to stop drinking so much soda...' _Sharpener shook his head, unable to believe the events occurring before him. After all, how else could he explain Nerd Boy fighting the monster his hero had slain all those years ago? If they really _were_ even fighting. At the speed they were going, it was difficult to keep up with them. No one could move that fast, or fly, or hell, project images directly into everyone's minds. This _had _to be a dream.

Erasa, meanwhile, was horrified. She had never seen so much blood before, never seen someone so bruised and beaten, yet still struggling to his feet. Every blow that Cell inflicted on Gohan seemed to draw blood, cause pain that caused her to squirm just watching. Yet he seemed to ignore it; ignore the pain, no matter how obvious the wound. He merely fought on.

No one should have been able to withstand that kind of pain, nor should people fly or move faster than the eye could see. Videl had grown up believing all of these things were merely tricks; after all, her entire life was built on the foundation that the sights she saw before her were fake, that only her father could have defeated the monster that had plagued mankind. Seeing them up close, however, even if only in her mind, filled her with questions. Cell said that Gohan was the one to defeat him, that Gohan merely let that "buffoon" take the credit.

The age was right, Gohan could very well have been that delivery boy... But... how could he have defeated Cell?

After all, if he defeated Cell... then who was she?

* * *

"That power... Damn it! That brat's been holding back on me!"

Piccolo turned to the fiery man floating next to him. "Is that really all you can think about right now?"

Vegeta took a moment to process this before letting out a small smirk. "I suppose you're right, Green Bean. Guess it only proves that I'm not strong enough for this."

"Vegeta..."

This earned a growl from the prideful warrior. "Dammit, Green Bean! This is hard enough without having to deal with you people counseling me!"

Piccolo only let out a small chuckle at this before turning his attention back to the fight.

"Hm," Piccolo thought for a moment, analyzing the situation. "Cell's still hiding his power level."

"That can only mean one thing," Vegeta said plainly, earning a knowing stare from the Namekian. "He's clearly able to keep up with the brat, so he clearly isn't trying to make us overestimate his strength. Which can only mean one thing." He took a deep, dreadful sigh.

"He's toying with him."

* * *

"My, my. Is this _truly_ all you can do? Why, if I knew it'd be this easy to defeat you, I might not even have bothered escaping from hell!" Cell let out a small, chilling chuckle.

Gohan struggled to lift himself from out of the dirt, glaring hatefully at the smug bastard above him, taunting him with that damned smirk. Letting out an agonizing scream, he gathered all of his energy.

"Kame..."

Cell chuckled in anticipation.

"Hame..."

Cell's smirk seemed to widen even more.

"HA!"

With that, Gohan let loose the energy wave, roughly equal in power to the Kamehameha wave that his father had blown off Cell's torso with all of those years ago. Cell did not move an inch.

The blast collided with Cell, and once again his torso was eradicated. The world breathed a sigh of relief... aside from those who knew what was coming.

Once again, Cell reconstructed himself, his smirk reappearing as if it never vanished.

"My, my, Gohan. Losing out temper, are we?" Cell chided, further enraging the warrior.

"Do I truly need to remind you?" He breathed an exaggerated sigh, enjoying the dominance in this battle. "If even a single one of my cells survives, I shall return, even more powerful than before. Face it," he said with glee. "You can't beat me. You've lost."

"What? No... Big Brother can't lose..."

Chichi held the sobbing child in her arms, trying desperately to repress her own fear for the sake of her youngest son.

"Ssh... don't worry, Goten... Everything will be ok..."

Goten sniffed. "But... Big Brother..."

Chichi forced a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. Don't count Gohan out just yet. He's managed to get out of things much worse than this."

The young boy looked up at his mother with hope. "R-really?"

His mother nodded. "Yes. Don't worry, everything will be all right."

Holding her son even tighter, she could only pray that things would work out once again. _'Gohan... No matter what, I'm proud of you...'_

* * *

_'This dream is more like a nightmare!'_ Sharpener had already wet his pants, not that anyone could tell; he was not the only one in the classroom who had done so. There were still a few holdouts still believing that Mr. Satan would come and save them all, but the believer's faith was dwindling.

Videl was slowly realizing that fact. Her father was not going to save them. It was looking more and more like he was not the one who defeated Cell, that all of her life was a lie. She was slowly realizing the truth.

Everything about her life was a lie. So what if the world was about to end? Her world had already been destroyed.

* * *

_'No... it's impossible... I refuse...'_

Gohan forced himself up to his feet, glaring hatefully at the thing that had bested him.

_'I can't let him beat me... Destroy the Earth... No... Must... protect... everyone...'_

He tried to break into his fighting stance, only to experience a jolt of pain through his body.

_'Looks like... there's no other choice...'_

He took a deep breath as he began to charge his attack.

_'Sorry, Goten. I won't be able to play with you today after all...'_

Letting out another scream, he summoned all of his energy once more, causing Cell to laugh again.

"Oh? Still struggling? Give it up, Gohan. Daddy's not here to save you this time."

_'No, he's not. He's not going to have to sacrifice himself this time... This time... I protect everyone.'_

Faster than even Cell could see, Gohan's arm was driven straight through the bastard's gut. Radiating waves of ki were driven off from the arm, too much ki to be considered safe.

Cell's eyes widened as he realized what was about to happen.

* * *

"That energy isn't stabilized! If Gohan releases it..." Piccolo's eyes widened in realization.

Vegeta shook in rage. "Th-that fool!"

* * *

"You... you'll self destruct to defeat me?" Cell stuttered, his earlier confidence gone.

"Anything to defeat you." Gohan replied coldly, his fist still implanted straight through the monster's stomach.

* * *

Chichi and Goten held each other closely, their tears unable to make the sadness go away.

* * *

Yamcha desperately tried to look away, even knowing he could not. The pain of having to see Gohan sacrifice himself like his father did all those years ago was too much.

Krillin, meanwhile, was sitting on the edge of the Lookout, reminiscing of the times he spent with that little boy who experienced so much pain for the world, despite never wanting a single thing in return.

Tien bowed his head in silence, thinking back to all the difference Gohan and Goku had made him him, and everyone else: turning cold blooded murderers and criminals into warriors for good, believing in them even when they themselves did not.

_'Those two were truly too good for this world.'_

* * *

Trunks rubbed his mother's back, struggling to repress his own tears threatening to well from his eyes.

Bulma could hardly believe that the little boy hiding behind his father's legs all those years ago was now about to sacrifice himself. Gohan had a heart unlike anyone else she had ever seen. She wished more than anything else in the world that Gohan would have been allowed to live a normal life, the life he truly deserved. But the boy was too much like his father, and the world would soon lose another of its greatest denizens.

* * *

At last, the beer took its toll: Mr. Satan lay unconscious on the floor, now unable to view his life crash before his eyes. He was free from the truth, for a time at least.

* * *

Videl could not stop herself from crying. Though she did not know entirely what was going on, Cell just said that Gohan would self destruct. Die to save a world that had insulted and reviled him. A world that had given him nothing, but instead gave her everything.

Her, who had willingly accepted their gifts, the status quo. Who had hounded him with questions and accusations during the brief period she had known him.

She really wished she had given him a chance. After all, he always was nicer than anyone else she had ever met. But her hatred of masks drove her away from him.

What irony that it was her who was wearing the mask all along.

* * *

"You can't... do this!" Cell sputtered, his old confidence long forgotten.

"I have to!" Gohan screamed back, his energy taking over him. "For every-"

He was cut off by a boot to the face, throwing him back several feet.

Struggling back to his feet, Gohan turned back at the monster he just had in a deadlock, only to see someone else had taking his place.

"Vegeta!"

"V-vegeta! What are you doing it?" Cell asked, his own fear overcoming it.

Ignoring the monster, Vegeta turned his gaze toward the half-Saiyan. "... Gohan. You put me to shame. You, who would give your life for the world without a second though." He took a deep sigh. "...You're better then me."

His own energy began to spike. "And I'll be damned if I let you die."

Gohan's eyes rose in recognition as he realized what Vegeta was about to do. "Vegeta! Stop!"

A gust of wind sent the halfbreed back several feet. "Get out of here, you fool! The world needs you a lot more than it needs me."

Still, Gohan struggled back to his feet, determined not to let someone else die for him. "Vegeta, wait! I'll do-"

He was cut short as he noticed green arms wrap around his waist.

"Come on, kid! We have to get out of here!"

Piccolo held the squirming boy in his arms as he flew away from the two, stopping the struggling Gohan from escaping his grasp.

Vegeta closed his eyes in recognition. This was the end. The Dragonballs could not bring back someone who committed suicide, he knew that. Which would mean that this, of all things, would be the final act of a pure blood Saiyan.

Still, he knew there was more to life than the power his race had historically sought. And it was what you would be willing to die for that mad life truly worth living.

Steeling his resolve, he finally gathered up the strength to say what he wished he had the courage to say years earlier.

"I love you, Bulma."

With that, he unleashed all of his strength in a final blast of light. Cell could only scream in terror as the energy unleashed destroyed his very existence.

And then, for the first time in years, the entire world was silent. Now, it knew the truth.

And the truth hurt.


	3. Chapter 3

Unable to conceal the grin crossing his face, Max Sayoko rubbed his fingers through his dimming blonde hair once more.

For years, he had been ZTV's top sports reporter, covering everything from baseball to basketball to rugby. But that was just his job, something he did to pay the bills.

No, his _real_ passion lay in martial arts. True, he himself was in no ways a fighter, but to witness a two true warriors battling it out, no holds barred? That was what he lived for.

It was for that he became a ZTV sports reporter. A few months after covering boring soccer matches and post game commentaries, he was able to weasel his way into his lifelong dream: hosting the 20th World Martial Arts Tournament.

The thrill of watching King Chappa defeat Jesse Thames using his eight-handed technique was unlike any he had ever seen. To be quite honest he doubted he would ever be able to see such an amazing sight again.

He was proven wrong three years later, when two students of the legendary Master Roshi made it to the finals of the 21st World Martial Arts tournament defeated skilled and accomplished warriors despite their youth. As Max watched Son Goku almost defeat Jackie Chun and win the tournament at the tender age of twelve, he knew this was a warrior unlike any other.

Through the 22nd and 23rd World Martial Arts tournaments, Max was able to lay witness to some of the most incredible fights to ever grace the planet Earth. Max could not help but feel pride in watching Goku finally become the youngest champion to ever live, as if he knew the boy intimately. Even if he never really got to know the man too well himself, he knew that he was one of a kind. True, he was a fierce warrior, perhaps the greatest one Max had ever laid eyes on; but he had a heart unlike any other. During the brief moments when he was near the young warrior, Max could practically feel the goodness radiating off of him. He somehow knew that, as long as the man was around, everything would be fine.

Then everything changed. Goku and his friends stopped coming to the tournaments. Instead of proud warriors such as Tien Shinhan and Yamcha the Bandit, the World Martial Arts scene was dominated by... _him_.

Mr. Satan was not a proud warrior, or even that decent of a fighter. No, what that man was was a brilliant marketer. He sold his image as the "Strongest Man in the World", and everyone ate it up. Whereas Goku and the prior martial arts champions fought for their love of the art, Mr. Satan sold action figures of himself and grew rich of the proceeds. Every musclehead in the world bought into his doctrine that you could be a great martial artist in just a few hours at the gym. The entire world abandoned ancient schools such as the Turtle and the Crane schools and accepted Satan's school as the one true path. Worst of all, that man twisted Max's lifelong love, the World Martial Arts Tournament, into nothing more than a publicity stunt, a mere tool to further the Church of Satan.

Things grew ever worse after the Cell Games. Even seeing their hero be knocked out of the ring within seconds could not stop the people from abandoning their delusion. After the cameras died and the world waited in terror, the man who could not lay a finger on Cell said that he had managed to defeat the beast with a single karate chop. And the world believed him! Mr. Satan, of course, was all too eager to "humbly" accept their thanks.

The final straw came when he publicly insulted Max's heroes: Tien, Krillin, Yamcha, Ma Junior... and even Goku. All of whom Max saw at the Cell Games. People who could do things Mr. Satan could not dream of doing. The people he believed truly defeated Cell.

He could not stand this. So he spoke up for them, the one reporter daring to go up against the Satan machine. But he was just one man, and the machine clamped down on him, brutally repressing those who spoke against the "Champ". He was tossed aside, forced to watch from the sidelines as his lifelong passion was further destroyed.

That was why, even knowing the world was almost destroyed just the day prior, he could not conceal the satisfaction in seeing his old bosses come crawling back to his doorstep, reluctantly begging him to come back to them. After the spectacle the day before and Mr. Satan's sudden disappearance, they had finally decided to allow the people they've been insulting the chance to speak up for themselves. But the warriors would only agree to an interview if Max Sayoko was the one to give it; it would seem that Earth's true heroes remembered how he was the only one to stand up for that honor.

So now, here he was, about to go on TV for the first time in seven years, going to talk to one of his childhood heroes and expose that fraud for what he was. He was finally going to tell the world the truth.

And, he had to say: the truth felt good.

* * *

Krillin could not help himself from sweating as he waited off stage.

_'Damn it, why me? I know why Gohan can't do it himself, but Yamcha's a baseball star! Surely he'd have been better prepared to go on nation TV...' _

Still, he could not keep himself from smiling when he saw Max Sayoko walk onto stage. Even if they never really got the chance to know each other well, he was still glad to see the one person who believed in the Z-fighters have his honor restored.

"Hello, people of Earth!" Max began his program, his triumphant grin unable to be suppressed. "I am Max Sayoko. Now, I know many of you have many questions about the events that we all bared witness to yesterday. As such, ZTV has an exclusive interview with a known associate of the mysterious boy, Gohan. He is a former World Martial Arts Tournament participant, as well as a student of the legendary Master Roshi. Krillin, if you would?"

Nervously, the former monk made his way up to the stage, where Max Sayoko eagerly shook his hand.

"It's good to see you again, Krillin."

"Hey, you too Max. Nice to see you back on camera."

The reporter chuckled at this, then motioned for the two of them to sit down.

Once they were seated, Max began the interview with the big question. "So, I believe the big question here is: What happened yesterday?"

Krillin chuckled at this. "Well, that's a very difficult question to answer. You saw what happened, but I know what you really mean. However, your real question is a bit too broad to be easily answered."

To this, Max nodded. "Very well. Then, let's start with another one: Who really defeated Cell seven years ago?"

Krillin took a deep breath. "It was that boy, Gohan. Though the press called him the Delivery boy."

Expecting this, Max nodded before pressing on. "But, how could a boy be that strong? Aren't all those light shows just tricks?"

"Not at all," Krillin shook his head. "Ki manipulation is an ancient technique going back thousands of years, and any one can do it, provided they have the willpower and physical capabilities to do it."

"Physical capabilities?"

"Right. It's a lot like regular exercise. An average person might not be able to climb a mountain, right? Well, it takes a lot of energy to be able to control your ki. It's not something you can do easily, you need to be in very top condition to use it. But if you give me a fairly decent martial artist, I should be able to teach them how to use their ki in a short while, provided they are committed."

"Are you suggesting you'd be willing to teach people, then?"

Krillin blinked in response. "honestly, I never thought of that. I'll get back to you on that."

"Right," Max continued. "But why haven't you spoken up? Why have you been in hiding?"

"Well, for one, we all just like our privacy," Krillin sheepishly grinned, rubbing his hand on his neck on a trait he picked up over years of interaction with his friends.. "Second, it's not like anyone was allowed to speak out against Mr. Satan. You of all people should know that."

Max could not stop himself from chuckling at this. "Even still, surely a trip to the World Martial Arts tournament would disprove those accusations?"

"The World Martial Arts tournament is not what it once was," Krillin sighed, shaking his head at it. "Before, the tournament was a place of honor, where strong warriors fought purely to test their abilities. Now, however," he sighed, "it's been turned into a publicity stunt. All the publicity, the emphasis on fame, plastering that man's face everywhere... It's just not the place of honor it once was. And we just did not want to be a part of that."

Nodding at this, Max decided to change the subject. "Getting back on track. Now, this Gohan. Why did he not take the credit? Why let Mr. Satan tell everyone he did it?"

Krilin looked down in deep sorrow. "Gohan had a hard childhood," he spoke plainly, his earlier happiness gone. "In order to be strong enough to defeat Cell, he had to do and witness things no one should be allowed to do. Not only that," He fought back a tear. "But... during the Cell Games, his father, Son Goku, my best friend..." Krillin was now unable to suppress the tears. "... He gave his life in the fight. And Gohan... Gohan blamed himself. He was an eleven year old boy who fought and sacrificed so much, who blamed himself for his father's death, and now felt as if he had to protect the world from anyone else, determined to not let anyone else ever suffer..." His eyes were now waterfalls as he was unable to contain his anguish any more, and even Max found his professionalism was unable to keep a stray tear from falling.

Taking a deep, calming breath, Krillin looked back up at the reporter. "He was just in no place to face the world. And he never really wanted the fame, anyway. He just... he just wanted to save everyone. And, well, we wanted to give him a chance at a normal life."

Nodding in sympathy, Max tried hard to keep his own tears from falling. He always knew Goku was a special man, but to surrender his own life to save the world so freely? And now, he could see the pure goodness was in his son as well. If Gohan was half the man his father was...

"Where... is Gohan now?"

Krilin stared down in reflection, still unable to grasp just what Vegeta did. He never would have thought when they first met that the ruthless murdered would sacrifice himself to save the Earth.

"He took that man's death very badly," he whispered. "The man who sacrificed himself to kill Cell. Gohan thought he'd be able to protect everyone, but... he's currently locked himself away in training. I wouldn't expect him to come back for a while."

"Who... who was that man? I don't think I ever saw him at one of the tournaments..."

Krillin smiled through his tears. "... He was a friend. He was a hero."

* * *

"Well, in light of your sacrifice, as well as the circumstances concerning your enslavement, we have decided to overlook your earlier acts and not send you to hell."

Vegeta smirked. "How very kind of you."

King Yemma's face contorted into a growl. "Don't get smart with me, boy! Now then," he returned to his earlier neutral stance. "you have been recommended to train under North Kai. An agent of his will be here soon to take you there."

"What, don't I get a say in this?" the prideful prince retorted.

"Don't speak that way to me! Don't forget, I have the power to send you to hell!"

Rolling his eyes, Vegeta sighed, "Yes, yes, very well. Fine, just where is this agent?"

"He's waiting for you outside. Now get out of here, I have other souls to judge!"

Shaking his head, Vegeta left King Yemma's office. _'Hmph. So this is death. Well, at least I'll be able to fight for the rest of eternity... Maybe I'll finally be able to beat that clown's face-'_

"Hey, Vegeta!"

_'Speak of the moron...'_

Vegeta turned to see the face of his rival, his annoying, irritating smile mocking him.

"What is it, Kakarot?" He sighed.

"Well, King Kai told me to come pick you up, so..."

"Oh god, _you're_ the agent?"

"Yep!" Goku grinned, causing the man before him to scowl.

_'I forgot how annoying this man could be...'_

"Well, Kakarot. I hear you were unable to stop Cell from escaping Hell," Vegeta snidely asked, happy to have something to belittle his rival about.

Goku crossed his arms as he reflected. "Yeah... He was in hiding for a while, so we thought he was up to something. Turns out he was training in the deepest depths of Hell! Who knew?" Goku's grin caused Vegeta's scowl to return.

"But hey, Vegeta?" Goku piqued. "When I woke up, King Kai said that you sacrificed yourself to save Gohan?"

Vegeta turned away. He did _not_ want to have this conversation.

"Hey, Vegeta? Is something wrong?"

"Go away, Kakarot. I'm not in a good mood."

"Aw..." Goku frowned, genuinely upset his friend was sad. "Is there something I can do to make it better?"

Turning his head back, Vegeta snidely remarked, "Yes you can go to hell, Kakarot."

Blinking for a moment, Goku registered what Vegeta just said.

"Hey, that's a great idea!"

This caused the prince to stop and turn away, a look of utter disbelief on his face. "... What?"

"The two of us can go to Hell!"

"I repeat... _WHAT_?"

Goku;s face twisted into a smirk. An all too _Saiyan_ smirk.

"Well, hey. Wouldn't getting your revenge on old Frieza make you feel better?"

Blinking, Vegeta took a few minutes to register this.

Finally realizing what was just said, he burst into laughter. Finally regaining control of himself, he turned back to his... friend?

"Very well, Kakarot," he grinned, eager to finally live his lifelong ambition. "Lead the way."

As Goku reached over to prepare for an Instant Transmission, only one thought crossed Vegeta's mind.

_'Death isn't so bad, after all.'_

* * *

Dende lifted himself from the fallen warrior, Gohan's self inflicted injuries gone.

He was not able to get a word in edgewise before Gohan lifted off into the sky, self inflicting ki attacks on himself.

Mr. Popo sighed. "I say, this Saiyan practice of near death causing increased strength is most unsettling."

Dende sighed. "He really blames himself for Vegeta's death. And now that he's gone..."

"... he feels like he is the only one who can protect the Earth now," Piccolo concluded, watching as Gohan flew into another one of his own ki blasts.

_ 'It's not your fault, kid... You don't have to do this alone.'_

* * *

Gritting his teeth at the pain, Gohan fired another ki blast.

Acting quickly, he reappeared directly where the ki blast was about to land, trying to ignore the pain as the blast burned off some of his skin.

This was barbaric, yes, he knew that. But he also knew that, one again, he had failed.

Despite everything, he had been unable to protect everyone once again, only surviving because another one of his friends sacrificed himself. He was still not strong enough.

He was still not able to protect the world. Now, because of him, Trunks would never know his father. Now, because of him, Bulma would experience the same pain his own mother lived through after his own father died. Also because of him.

_'Piccolo, Dad, and now even Vegeta... All my life, people have been sacrificing themselves to save me, and I've been unable to save them. But there's no one to save me now,' _he thought bitterly. _'I am the only one left strong enough to protect the Earth. Because of me, Dad and Vegeta are dead. And I have to make sure that, next time, I can save the Earth without their help.'_

_'Because next time... I won't have anyone to save me if I fail,'_ he gasped I pain as another one of his blasts scalded his arm. _'I'm the last hope for Earth, now...'_

He knew now that there was no way he could have a normal life. Trying to fit in, to be normal, had only endangered the Earth. The world was much more important than he was, he knew that. He could not risk anyone else facing the same pain he felt. He needed to be strong enough to protect everyone he loved. But to do so, he would have to sever his ties with the rest of the world.

Abandoning the world in order to save it... This was his truth now. No matter how much it hurt.


	4. Chapter 4

"I'm sorry, Videl. But we just do not need your assistance any more."

Videl stared in shock at the police commissioner, unable to fully process his request.

"Videl? The communicator, if you would."

Her hand shaking, the distraught girl reached into her pocket and pulled out the her pride and joy, the symbol of the world's faith in her. A faith now gone.

The eyes of the man before her, long full of admiration, gratitude and yes, perhaps a bit of worship, were filled with emotions that Videl had never before witnessed directed at her. Disappointment. Dislike.

Betrayal.

Her former boss took the communicator before turning around and leaving her in the station lobby, her mind struggling to function.

Watching that man sacrifice himself, hearing his terrible scream as the image was engulfed in light before fading away... Her mind was a blank. She walked home, not even noticing the stares everyone was giving her, until she saw her home swarmed with reporters. This was something she was used to, but not like this. Never like this.

In a dazed, confused state, she slipped past the reporters, not even bothering to respond to her questions. She hardly even noticed that every single servant had left. No, she needed to now the _truth_. She needed to hear the words from her father.

For nearly an entire day, she frantically scoured the mansion, desperately trying to find her father in the maze-like corridors. Eventually, she found him in a secret basement hidden behind a bookshelf.

But she was unable to get her answers. No, he was barely even alive, surrounded by vomit and beer cans baring his likeness, muttering "It's over, it's all over..." endlessly to himself.

Then, the television interview finally revealed the truth: Her life was a lie, a massive fraud perpetrated on the entire world by her own father.

That night, she locked herself up in her room, curled up in a ball, too shocked to even cry, staring off into nothing. Sleep would not find her.

Her communicator went off for the first time since the "incident" the next morning, but unlike any other time she was not called to the scene of a crime. No, she was called directly to the police station. Still in a daze, she flew her jet copter there.

And now, watching the door the police commissioner just left, she finally knew the truth. She was correct after all, Gohan _was_ the Great Saiyaman. But it would seem as if he was not the only one wearing a mask.

After all, not all masks were physical.

* * *

"... This just in, it would appear as if Mr. Satan has been located. However, it would appear as if though he rendered himself unconscious, so we are unabl-"

Unable to watch any more, Sharpener turned the TV off.

"How... how could this be..." he muttered to himself, lying in the bed he hardly left in two days.

"Mr. Satan... did not... beat Cell? And... Nerd Boy... did? But... why... Those lessons... those championships... what did they all mean...?"

Tears adorning his face for the first time in years, the confused young boy turned his attention to a photo taken a year prior.

It was of him, Erasa, and Videl... It was the Satan Championships, taken right after he beat Suzaku Kururugi and became a Satan Master, the second youngest person, after Videl, to ever do so. He was holding up high the symbol of his achievement, the Black Belt, with both of his best friends by his side. Erasa was as excited as ever and even Videl let out a smile of pride.

Videl...

"That... that bitch!" Sharpener roared, furiously grabbing the photo. "She lied... She and... and her father... They... They told me I was strong," he sobbed, pouring his eyes out like he had never done before. "But they lied! I'm not strong. That belt... it was a _LIE_!" Furiously, he tore the photograph in half, him and Erasa falling to his bed while the fragment containing Videl was crunched up by his fist.

"Videl..." he sobbed, gritting his teeth. "You... you..." With that, he tore up the fragment into pieces before tossing them off the bed, unable to care where they landed.

His life was a lie. And it was all _their_ fault.

* * *

Erasa silently walked the main street, eyes focused directly on the ground.

_'They... they lied to us...' _her eyes brimmed with tears. _'They tricked the world into giving them our money and pride...'_

Shouts and sounds of thrown objects brought her briefly back to reality, where she saw teenagers throwing tomatoes at one of Mr. Satan's statues. She chuckled grimly to herself.

_'I can't believe we did all that for them... Doing whatever they wanted, treating them like royalty... All the while, Gohan...' _

Tears streamed down her face as she remembered that boy._ 'Who would have thought that the shy, quiet boy was the actual world savior? Always content to remain on the sidelines, willing to bless us with that gorgeous smile of his no matter how many times people put him down... That... that man back then... that was his father,' _she realized. _'Son Goku... his own father, gave his life to save us, and he had to endure seven years of people calling his dad nothing more than a common trickster.' _The tears would not stop coming.

_ 'No... it wasn't us,' _she consoled herself._ 'It was them... they set us all against them. And Videl,' _she clenched her fist. _'Why couldn't she just leave him alone? Always hounding him, thinking she had the right to know everything about him... She... she was just some spoiled rotten brat, using her fame to get people to fawn over her. People like me...' _

Wiping her tears away, she looked on with new determination_. 'She has tricked me into being her friend before. But, even if her father was the real savior, that does not mean she can act so... smug and superior.'_

_ 'We're through, Videl. Enjoy making friends now that the world knows the _real_ you.'_

* * *

The eyes. They were ever watching. Videl was used to people watching her. But this... this was different.

Instead of worshipful looks and squeals of excitement, there was only hatred. Piercing glares of betrayal and loathing surrounded her, her fame having been transformed to infamy.

She was unable to return to her house. After all, how could she? Not only was that where her _father_ was, but it was a gift from the city. A show of gratitude for the Savior's deeds.

A symbol of the lie.

Recognizing her surroundings, she looked up to see the remnants of the office building which burnt down a few weeks prior. The fire she was helpless to stop, but instead had to rely on the Great Saiyaman. Gohan.

_'Gohan...'_ she thought to herself, remembering how he had saved her, and how she had "repaid" him. _'He knew... he knew that I was a fake... but still...' _

When Gohan first arrived at Orange Star High, Videl's suspicions lead her to continuously harass him. Her constant interrogations caused him to become a nervous wreck, an achievement she had been quite proud of, sure he'd snap sooner or later. She had been rude, arrogant, and a complete jerk to the guy.

But Gohan kept trying to befriend her. He would always try to greet her with a smile, no matter how often she would return it with a glare. No matter how often she made it clear that she did not want to be friends with someone who had secrets, that boy would always try to make small talk with her.

Secrets. Yes, he had a secret: that her entire life was a lie stolen from him. But even though he knew this, no matter how many times her father spat in his father's grave, he would always be friendly to her.

Maybe he was the only person actually willing to be her friend, and not just because of her father. Erasa and Sharpener would not respond to her calls, no doubt not wanting to speak to the daughter of the biggest fraud in the world. And every other person she had known just wanted to be near her dad. But Gohan knew the truth. Even so, he made a consistent effort to befriend her.

But she would always turn him away, denying the friendship of perhaps the only person who truly wanted to know her.

"Gohan..." she sobbed, a tear trickling down her cheek.

* * *

"Gohan, you can't keep doing this to yourself, kid."

Stopping his training for a brief moment, the guardian of the Earth stared his former mentor in the eyes. "Vegeta's dead because of me. Because I wasn't strong enough, Trunks will grow up without a father..." He took a deep breath, attempting to choke back the tears threatening to burst. "... Just like Goten. Don't you see, I _have_ to do this-"

"Do what? Torture yourself?" Piccolo shouted back, anger taking hold over his body. "You say you're doing this for Trunks? For Goten? Do you have any idea how much they need you right now?"

"They're better off without me!" Gohan shouted back, tears streaming down his face. "I can't let them join my world... I can't let them have the life I've had to live." Calming himself, he looked his mentor straight in the eyes. "I am doing this so they don't have to. So they don't have to suffer the pain I've had to-"

"_Your_ pain? Do you have any idea how worried your mother is?" Piccolo pleaded. "Or how much Goten needs his big brother right now? Not to mention Trunks-"

"No," Gohan replied coldly. "They're better off without me, and the life I lead."

"You don't have to do this, kid," Piccolo almost whispered. "You don't have to fight alone."

"Yes," Gohan said simply. "I do." With that, he took off once more to continue his training.

* * *

"Who would have thought Vegeta, of all people, would do such a thing," ChiChi smiled dimly as she took a sip of her coffee.

"Yeah..." Bulma sighed, staring longingly into the distance. Chichi frowned, remembering how she felt seven years ago.

True, she had never liked that man. After all, how could she? He was pretty much the opposite of her Goku, having murdered millions of people across the galaxy without showing any remorse. He was cold, indifferent, never showed any love toward his son or his wife. Honestly, Chichi never knew why her best friend put up with him.

It wasn't until she saw him offer his life to save her son that she knew. True, the man had done more wrong than right, and never showed any outward signs of decency. But, in those last moments, she knew the truth: deep within that cold shell lay a man yearning for happiness, someone who had found a reason to live. A reason to live worth dying for.

Reaching her hand across the table to meet her friend's, she offered a bright smile. "Vegeta died a hero," she consoled. "He died... he died to protect you, and his son."

Bulma sighed. "I know... I just..." She shook her head, eager to change the subject. "So, what about Gohan? Any word from him?"

Chichi's smile faltered, and her face was consumed by worry. "Piccolo says he's taken it very badly. Much worse than when Goku died. He isn't able to physically stop him from training, and he isn't able to convince him to stop."

Bulma bowed her head. "I wish he knew it wasn't his fault. He shouldn't have to deal with this alone."

Chichi smiled gratefully at her friend before taking taking another sip of her coffee. "Well, at any rate, it's nice to finally see that fraud finally get what he deserves!"

Bulma chuckled at her friend, happy to have some good come out of all of this. "Speaking of which," she said suddenly, remembering something from the prior day. "You'll never believe what Krillin had me write out a check for."

* * *

"... and, with that, it is with great pride that I proudly open the Turtle School of Martial Arts."

Applause broke out from the crowd below as the newly christened Turtle Hermit fired a ki blast at the ribbon adorning the building, decimating it and signaling the rebirth of Martial Arts.

"Now, I have to remind you that the Turtle School is not one in which just anyone can join. Not only do you have to already be a reasonably accomplished fighter already, but you must be willing to work harder than you've ever worked before. Nobody can master any art in a day, and it takes more than a few hours of training after work to be a true fighter. My training is not easy, but if you are able and willing to put the time and the effort in, you will get the rewards."

Applause broke out again, and Krillin waved as he floated off the stage to the cheers of the crowd.

One audience member in particular took a deep breath. He was strong enough. He had to be.

He had to prove he wasn't just Mr. Satan's ace student, no. He had to be a good _real_ martial artist. He had to be the very best.

He had to become stronger than Videl. Stronger than her fake of a father.

He had to prove their fame meant nothing at all.

* * *

Lightning flared in the sky, and rain came pouring down as if the Earth itself was crying over what it had done. Chuckling to herself at this insight, Videl kept walking. She was unable to care anymore about the rain, or anything at all for that matter.

She merely continued walking, as she had done all day. Honestly, she found it quite hard to believe that it was only two days since the battle. Two days since her life was flipped upside down.

Her stomach growled, reminding her she had not eaten since breakfast that day.

_'I guess I need to take some care of myself,'_ she sighed, reaching into her pockets.

_'...Damn it, my wallet is back ho-... in that building.' _She sighed. _'Oh well, I could always go to a Satan burger and use my dis... count...'_

Videl Satan could not even remember the last time she cried. She was Videl Satan, after all She had an image to maintain.

But that image was utterly destroyed in these past two days. She had been able to keep from crying ever since she knew, but now... Now, why even bother trying to fight it?

So she cried. Her tears flowed out of her eyes like waterfalls, fading away into the rain.

Making her way to a back alley, she curled up next to a dumpster, and let all of her agony out.

For hours she lay there, unable to stop. In all of that time, there was only one thought that crossed her mind:

_'The Truth hurts.'_


	5. Chapter 5

"How's he doing?" Dende asked his predecessor as he walked next to him, eying their guest training in the sky.

"He's been at it for a week, now. He's not able to take this kind of training. If he keeps this up..." Piccolo clenched his fists.

Dende sighed. "I suppose there's only one person who can help him now. Well, two people," Dende offered a reassuring smile at Piccolo. "I'll be sorting everything out, keep watch while I'm gone," the young Guardian instructed before turning back to the palace. Piccolo nodded, but kept his gaze focused on Gohan.

_ 'Don't push yourself too hard, kid... You're not just the protector of Earth, you know that, right?'_

* * *

"A woman has just stepped forward, claiming to be yet another one of Mr. Satan's mistresses. Anastasia Fermat claims that the disgraced former champion gave her a mansion, as well as..."

Shaking her head, Chichi turned off the TV. She had long ago had enough of that man, after all.

She turned her attention over at her youngest son, glancing out the window.

"Mommy, when's Big Brother coming home?"

A pang of sorrow filled his mother's heart. Her youngest son idolized his Big Brother, Gohan being a better father to him than most real dads. Ever since the fight with Cell and Gohan's self exile to the Lookout, Goten lost his youthful spirit. He no longer played or smiled. Instead, he spent his days waiting for his brother to return.

"Soon, honey," Chichi managed to answer, knowing that neither of them believed it. Goten merely continued his watch, waiting for a sign of his brother's return. Chichi sighed.

_ 'Come on, Gohan... can't you see how much your little brother needs you?'_

* * *

Sharpener bowed his head in concentration, before directing his hand forward into a punch with a mighty yell. Just like that, the brick wall collapsed.

Krillin nodded his head in approval. "Very good," he praised the gaping teen. "I'm impressed that you've made it this far already. I'm sure you can go far if you can keep your mind into it!"

His student however, could not hardly hear his instructor. All he could think about was how he just punched through a brick wall. _He_ did that. He was more powerful than he could ever have dreamed possible.

And to think, such power was his after only a week of training! The training which his _hero _condemned, tricking him into a life of mediocrity.

He could have been as strong as Nerd Boy. He could have been the hero who saved the city. He could have been the greatest fear of the criminal underworld. He could have been the one who defeated Cell!

But that man... he held him back. He and his daughter, they kept him from getting stronger, kept him from reaching his true potential!

He could have been the strongest... If only _they _hadn't lied to him...

* * *

Erasa groaned. Once again, someone thought it'd be a good idea to "decorate" her locker.

_SATAN'S BITCH. _

Sighing, she disregarded it and got out her books as normal.

She was used to people associating her as Videl's friend. After all, that was what she was expected to be, and it was such a great honor! People were literally begging to be her friend just to get a chance to be near Videl. And she did not mind. After all, how could one be so unhappy when they were surrounded by so many friends?

Right, friends. All they wanted was her friend's fame. That's all anyone ever wanted to be around her for. That's all they ever wanted from her.

But now? They still only knew her as Videl's friend... and now, that was no longer a positive thing.

She lightly chuckled to herself. _'Maybe I was a bit hard on Videl...'_

A mere week ago, she felt just like them: Hurt. Betrayed. She believed that Videl had used her, and everyone else. She wanted nothing to do with that girl anymore.

But she had overestimated her own popularity. For years, she had enjoyed endless streams of people frothing at the mouths for a chance to be near her. It had gotten to the point where she honestly believed they wanted to be _her_ friend.

But now? No one would even speak to her.

_'Where are you, Videl?'_ she pondered, ignoring the glares people were throwing her way. _'You haven't been in school since the fight... I just hope you're ok. After all, you might have been my only friend...'_

_ '...No. You weren't my only friend,' _she realized with a laugh, staring at the latest painting someone in Art class did. A painting of the class nerd, the one revealed to have been the _true_ savior of the Earth.

_'Gohan... I never would have guessed you had such a hard life. But despite that, or hell, maybe even because of it, you were the sweetest, purest person I have ever known. No matter how often people put you down, you always just smiled back, not caring what people thought of you. Gohan... Videl... where are you..?'_

* * *

_ 'Victoria Satan Memorial Hospital... The hospital name after my mother... This is where Dad is...'_

Videl took a deep breath. Her father was in there.

She had not laid eyes on her father since she saw him lying in his own filth. How could she? How could she have faced him?

It was now a week since that day. Videl had managed to survive on the streets. She was able to find shelter at night, but was unable to hide from the glares.

People knew who she was. How could they not? She was only the most famous girl in the world. Videl had grown to accept this as merely another facet of her identity. But now, she just wanted to crawl away and hide. Even after a week of life on the streets, people were still able to recognize her, despite her messy hair and dirty face. And no matter what, people would whisper about her. Because of _him_.

So Videl had found herself across from her mother's namesake, the hospital her father had named after his wife who died shortly before the Cell Games. Where her dad was hiding from the world.

_ 'Dad... Why?' _Videl's eyes began to water. Something that they had only started to do recently.

_ 'You lied... to everyone... to me... I need to know... why?'_

But her feet would not move. She could not bring herself to stare that man in the face. Besides, from what she heard on the news, he was still in a coma. Hiding from the world, blissfully unaware of the world he created crashing down around his feet.

_ 'It was all just a big mask, wasn't it, Dad? All that talk about working hard, and doing your best, and believing in yourself... it was all just talk, wasn't it? Telling the people what they wanted to hear so they would throw their money at you. That's what it's all been about, hasn't it Dad? You didn't care about the world, or your students, or even me. It was all just a mask, wasn't it?'_

A mask... That's all her life ever was.

Without another glance, Videl walked away from the hospital.

* * *

"Hello, welcome. I am Bulma Briefs, CEO of Capsule Corporation. Now, I'm aware that this past week has been difficult for us all, but it is important for all of us to move past this. As such, I am here to clarify a few things."

Bulma took a minute to collect herself. Sure, she was used to press conferences, but that was for Capsule Corp. This was the first time she'd have to speak about her extended family, and also the first time since Vegeta...

"Now, first off, in regards to the speculation: Yes, that man who sacrificed himself to kill Cell was, in fact, my husband. Furthermore, yes, Capsule Corp has kept the identities of these warriors a secret in regards to their privacy. None of these warriors desire any money or fame, which is why they have never stepped forward. As such, I humbly request that you are kind enough to respect their privacy. Yes, you there?"

A reporter stood up. "Hi Ms. Briefs, Sayoko Tanebi, West City Herald. Now, would you care to explain why you have kept this a secret and allowed the world to believe Mr. Satan's lies?"

Bulma shook her head. "I already answered your first question. Earth's protectors did not want fame or fortune and only wanted privacy. Being that they have dedicated their lives to guarding us all, I think that's a fairly-"

"But why would you permit us to fall into Mr. Satan's con ring?" Tanebi interjected.

"We had no say in whether you believed him or not," Bulma pointed out. "The people freely gave him their money and loyalty, and there is nothing we could have done to stop that. Even if they came out of hiding, would you really have believed it was any more than tricks a mere week ago?"

"But if you merely told the world the truth seven years ago-"

"And did what? Throw a distraught eleven year old boy on the global stage?" Bulma took a deep breath as she shook her head. There really was no reasoning with some people. "Gohan wanted peace and quiet. After all that he had to go through, I feel that that is a very reasonable request. As for Mr. Satan..."

She took a deep breath. This would be the hardest part for the people to accept. "You must realize that no one forced you to give him riches, or name a city after him, or make him a God. When you look at how the world has treated him, there aren't really many people who would turn down such treatment."

The crowd of reporters began shouting questions at the woman in front of them,every single one of them and their viewers angered by the fact that Ms. Briefs had seemingly just insinuated that it was _their_ fault Mr. Satan lied, and that they would have done the same thing. Bulma sighed once again.

"And what of the real hero? Why would Son Gohan have turned all of it down? Why is he so much better than us, then?"

Bulma chuckled to herself. "Those who already have unimaginable power only want to be normal."

* * *

"So, how's the dojo working out, Krillin?" Yamcha asked as he took a gulp out of his beer glass.

Krillin chuckled as he emptied his glass. "It's been working out pretty well. I'm impressed by how fast some of these guys have come," he said with pride as he flagged down the bartender for another drink.

"And the pay's good, I take it?"

"Yeah, I know, right? Eighteen's already searching for a house here in Satan City. Thank you," Krillin nodded to the bartender as he took his new drink.

The former baseball player chuckled. "Speaking of which, did you hear that City Council is going to vote on whether to rename it back to Orange Star City tomorrow?"

The short martial artist rolled his eyes. "Bet you a thousand zeni that they change it to Son City or something."

This broke the two's jubilation.

"Any word on Gohan?" Yamcha asked quietly.

"Nothing new," his friend shook his head. "He really took Vegeta's death hard..." Krillin sighed.

:I can't believe Vegeta would do something like that..." the former bandit sighed as he shook his head. "Bulma must be devastated."

This caused Krillin to cock his eyebrow. "Hey, you're not planning on trying to take advantage of Bulma or anything, are you?"

Panicking, Yamcha raised his hands in defense. "Hey, no! What kind of guy do you think I am,anyway? Heh heh heh heh..."

Chuckling, the new Turtle Hermit merely shook his head. "Well, in any case," he took another drink, "I wish there were something we could do to help Gohan..."

After taking a moment to regain his nerves, Yamcha replied, "Well, if Piccolo isn't able to convince him to stop, I don't think we'd be able to... and I'm not really eager to try to get a Saiyan to stop fighting! Heheh..."Yamcha rubbed the back of his head in a manner he had picked up from his friends over the years.

Krillin emptied his glass. "I just feel so helpless," he lamented, shaking his head. "I may not be able to fight as well as Gohan can, but now I can't even talk to him when he needs it?"

Yamcha sighed as he downed his own beer. "It seems like there are some things that just can't be solved by puny humans like us."

Krillin chuckled as he raised his glass. "Ain't that the truth."

* * *

"MASENKO!"

His blast sent into the distance, Gohan moved to intercept the blast once again.

But before the blast could reach him, a figure appeared right in front of him. A very _familiar_ figure.

Gohan's eyes widened as the man before him cut the energy beam in two before turning to face him, a smile present on his face.

"D-dad?" Gohan stuttered, unwilling to believe.

"Hi son!" Goku waved his hand, as cheerful as ever. "Wow, you look giant! Well, anyway, Dende said you needed our help."

"O-our?" Gohan managed to get out before being hit in the back of the head.

"Ow! What was that for?" Gohan rubbed his head, turning to see another surprising face.

"What was that? That was a cold, hard dose of the truth, boy," Vegeta snarled. "And we're here to get the truth through your thick skull."


	6. Chapter 6

Gohan stared gawking at the two figures floating before him, unable to think a logical thought. This was the first time in seven years since he saw his dad, the first time since he failed and made his dad sacrifice himself... The first time since he had robbed his younger brother of a father, had robbed Trunks of his own. And now they were right before his eyes, familiar looks upon both of their faces. Could it be...?

"Are you... alive?" He finally managed to croak out

His father smiled grimly before pointing up above his head to a halo. "Nope, sorry Gohan... Just here to help you out. King Yemma won't allow any more than that,"

Gohan looked down, dejected. "So... you're not here to stay, then..."

Goku chuckled. "Hey, life's for the living, after all." Seeing how this made his son even more sorrowful, he placed his hand on the boy's shoulder. "Aw, come on, Gohan. It's not like the Otherworld is that bad. It's just... a place for people to live after they're gone."

Gohan was silent for a moment, contemplating. At last, he spoke.

"So... are you here to try and convince me to stop training?"

"No, of course not!" His father waved his hands frantically. "It's good that you're training, and that you care about the Earth. It's just... well, that you shouldn't do it all of the time." Goku rubbed the back of his head as he chuckled.

Vegeta snorted. "Honestly. If you were just planning to dedicate your entire life to training, then tell me why I even bothered sacrificing myself when I would have done the same thing?"

"Why did you do that! You didn't need to... You didn't need to- URF!" His self deprecating statement was cut shot by a quick blow to the gut.

"Vegeta!" Goku shouted as he saw the Prince's fist connect with his son's stomach.

"You fool! Do you honestly think that my life is worth more than yours? Do you honestly think that I gave up my life and my Saiyan honor just so you could destroy yourself with over-training!" He lifted his hand to launch another blow into the boy's stomach, but his fellow Saiyan stopped him by a hand on his shoulder.

"Listen, Gohan," Goku smiled at his son, causing the boy's heart to fill with guilt. "We didn't sacrifice ourselves because of anything you did. We don't want you to treat yourself this way..."

"But I wasn't strong enough!" The boy stubbornly protested. "If I just trained more..."

"Fool!" Vegeta shouted as he smacked Gohan upside the head. "Do you know nothing of why I have never been able to defeat you? Are you truly unable to grasp why you and your clown of a father have always been better than me? It is _because_ you do not train all the time! Because you have something to fight for!"

"Gohan..." Goku took a deep breath. "When Cell escaped from hell, I tried to stop him. Despite me training against the greatest warriors to ever live for seven years straight, he still beat the snot out of me. No matter how much you trained, it wouldn't have been enough."

Vegeta let out a dry laugh. "Right. Tell the brat he never could be strong enough. _That_ will help get him out of this rut."

"Ah, come on, Vegeta!" the fellow Saiyan laughed. "It's not like punching him will help him at all..."

"He's a Saiyan," his majesty snarled. "We don't subscribe to your Earthling punishments. When I screwed up, my father would beat the shit out of me."

"Huh," Goku said contemplatively. "So _that's_ why you're always so angry..."

"WHAT WAS THAT?" the proud prince fumed, stomping his foot which, due to the fact they were in mind air, looked quite comical.

"Hey, lighten up, Vegeta! It was just a joke..."

"_You're_ the joke, your third class clown- wait, what are you laughing at?"

Gohan wiped his eyes, attempting to stop his guffawing. "I'm sorry, it's just... I haven't seen you two argue like that in so long."

"Heh, guess it has been a while, hasn't it, son" Goku scratched the back of his head, trying to think about what to say. What was there to say after all that had happened?

"Let's just cut to the chase," Vegeta barked, already growing tired of this conversation. "Right now, my son needs a Saiyan role model to counteract against the human's influences. And you killing yourself over and over up here isn't going to help anyone, least of all your mother and brother."

"But... it's my fault you..."

"No, it's not, brat!" Vegeta snarled as he docked the boy in the gut once more. "I could very easily have let you kill yourself and gone back to my life. But I didn't. Do you know why?"

He didn't offer the stunned man a chance to respond. "It's because you deserve to live. Do you understand that? I didn't save your filthy ass so that you could blow your life away. Right now, there are two Saiyan children in need of you, and two women wishing against all hope that their boy could come back home to them." He grabbed the boy by the neck and, ignoring Goku's protests, stared directly into the stunned child's eyes.

"I surrendered my Saiyan pride so that you would have a chance to live, boy. Don't you _dare_ tell me I died for nothing."

"What Vegeta's _trying_ to say," Goku butted in, gently pulling his son away from the scowling prince, "is that we don't want you to do this. I gladly gave my life all of those years ago so that you could live. But to see you doing this to yourself, well... it's killing me."

It took Gohan a few minutes to process these words, but when he fully understood what his father just said... it made him think back to that day. To the last time he had seen his father.

His father had walked up to the rapidly ballooning monster without a trace of fear, willing to give up his own life to stop Cell. To reverse _his_ mistake.

But there was something that Gohan had long forgotten... something that, in his constant drive to blame himself, he had pushed aside.

The last time his father looked him in the eyes, right before he was to die... he _smiled_. A kind, loving, pure smile- the kind that made any one who met the man instantly feel at ease. There was no hatred in that smile, no blame or disappointment directed at his only son. There was only love.

"It killed me to have to rely on you back then, Son," His father's voice drove him back to reality. "If there was the slightest chance I could have defeated Cell without you, I would have. But I... I wasn't strong enough..."

To the great shock of the other two Saiyan's, the happy-go-lucky man began choking back tears. "I never wanted you to have to be like this, to feel the entire world is weighing on your back..."

"Dad..."

"You're a smart kid, Gohan," Goku smiled, a few tears managing to escape his eyes, "and it's a shame that you've had to live this kind of life. I... I love you, son. And you don't need to do this to yourself."A warm smile broke out on his lips, uncharacteristic tears leaking down his face.

"Dad... I..."

"Your brother needs you, Gohan," his father continued, ignoring his interruption. "Your mother needs you. The world needs you. Not up here, torturing yourself... but down there, smiling."

Suddenly, it all made sense.

His father did not blame him for his death. Vegeta did not die because he was too weak. It wasn't just because they'd need him later on, or anything cold and calculated like that. They both just wanted him to _live_. To experience life.

A chuckle escaped the boy. "Guess I'm really an idiot, aren't I?" A smile, something that had not crossed his face ever since Cell returned to the world, was at last displayed on his face as he looked his father in the eyes.

His father returned a relieved grin. "Like father, like son, right?"

The half Saiyan chuckled. Then, a realization came across him, and his smile vanished.

"You... you two have to go back now... don't you?"

"We are not of this world anymore," Vegeta butted in, ruining the moment between father and son. "But you are. And I'm sure my son is in need of you."

"Goten, too. Speaking of which, I can't believe I have another son..." Goku's face dropped, but when he saw his son's face sadden as well, he quickly changed gears. "Vegeta tells me that he's a lot like me."

Gohan, resolved not to lose himself again into his depression, returned the smile. "Yeah. I've always liked to think that he was your spirit, come back to be with us..."

"Don't worry, son," his father placed his hand on his shoulder. "We'll meet again someday. And when we do, I want to hear about how you lived your life to the fullest."

For the first time in what felt like ages, all of the guilt and sorrow just left Gohan's face. A genuine smile crossed it once again.

"Don't worry, Dad. I won't let you down."

"I know you won't," Goku nodded. "I love you son. Tell your mother and brother I love them too. And tell them not to worry about me, Otherworld's not so bad, once you get past the constant fighting and food." Gohan chuckled, having missed his father's endless optimism.

"I take it that you are done here, then?"

Gohan jumped in place (which, being in the air already, was barely noticeable). Somehow, a small, pink haired woman riding a crystal ball sneaked up on three of the most powerful beings to ever live.

"It is already time, then," Vegeta lowered his head, smiling. "Well, brat," he raised it again, "You better not do anything this idiotic again. Now go. Your family need you." Without another word, he turned his head and left to join Baba.

Goku smiled sadly at his son. "Well, next time we meet, I want to hear all about your life, so try not to screw it up, alright?"

Gohan chuckled, then pulled his dad in for a hug.

"Thank you, dad," he whispered in his father's ear. "I love you too."

The two men released each other, both sharing a bond that few could ever be able to begin to comprehend. Without another word, Goku turned around to join the two people behind him.

Gohan could not help but smile as he saw the two Saiyan's leave him once again. There was no more regret or sorrow clouding his heart. He knew the truth now. They wanted him to live. And honestly? So did he.

Vegeta nodded and Goku waved... and with that, the two were gone once again.

Smiling warmly to himself, finally free of all doubt, he lowered himself until his feet touched the lookout below. Sensing a presence behind him, he let out an embarrassed grin as he turned around to face his old master.

"I'm really a moron, aren't I?" He sheepishly grinned.

Piccolo's face cracked into a warm smile. "I wouldn't expect anything less from a Son."

"Sorry about all that. Guess I have to fix things up with some people, don't I?" He grinned.

"Before you do, kid, you may want to clean yourself up."

For the first time in over a week, the boy took a sniff at himself, as well as looked down upon his clothes. One week training nonstop had left the boy looking- and smelling- like crap.

"Heheheheh," he sheepishly laughed, and Piccolo could not help but smile. It was good to see the old Gohan back.

"Oh, and one more thing." Gohan stopped laughing to listen to what Piccolo now had to say.

"Cell's mind vision power did not run off. The world now knows that you defeated Cell, seven years ago and now."

It took the poor boy a few seconds to fully understand what his mentor said, but soon his eyes grew as wide as dinner plates.

_'Shit.'_


	7. Chapter 7

Gohan stared down at the small cottage a few dozen feet below him and took a deep breath.

"Here goes nothing," he sighed.

Gently lowering himself onto the grassy floor, he barely had time to register the ki signal aiming straight at him.

"BIG BROTHER!" his little brother cried happily, in his big brother's arms before Gohan knew he was coming. "YOU'RE HOME!"

The elder Son chuckled, happy to see his little brother as happy and carefree as ever.

"Good to see you too, Go- Oh, shit." His eyes widened as he saw the only thing he truly feared flying straight toward his face. Though he should have easily been able to dodge it, the mere sight of it was easily enough to cause him to forget the fact that he was the most powerful being in the universe, and he could only watch in horror as his face collided with the deadly frying pan.

"DON'T YOU DARE USE THAT KIND OF LANGUAGE, MISTER! AND WHERE THE _HELL_ HAVE YOU BEEN? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW WORRIED I WAS? FIRST SOME HORRIBLE MONSGTER COMES AND THREATENS MY BABIES, THEN I HAVE TO SEE YOU ALMOST KILL YOURSELF, THEN YOU JUST UP AND VANISH FOR OVER A WEEK? Oh, I've been raising a delinquent!" Gohan could only cower in terror as his mother erupted into one of her angry rants. Not that he could blame her. He did screw up, after all.

"I'm... sorry, Mom," he pulled his mom into a hug, Goten having leaped out in time to dodge his mother's projectiles. "I screwed up, I know."

"Oh, Gohan!" Chichi sobbed, clutching at her eldest son. "It's not your fault. It's never your fault. I don't blame you for Goku, and Bulma doesn't for Vegeta. You don't have to do it all by yourself..."

"I know, mom," Gohan pulled away and smiled warmly at his mother. "Dad and Vegeta came and knocked some sense into me."

This caused Chichi to release the boy, eyes widened in shock. "You... you saw Goku...?

Gohan chuckled darkly. "Apparently, I was such a head case that they had to bring them back from the dead in order to get me to snap out of it."

"I take it he's not coming back, then?" She sighed, dejected. Gohan shook his head sadly.

"No. But he said he loves us all, and he's hoping that next time we see him, we'll have a lot of good stuff to say."

Chichi smiled warmly, trying not to cry. "Well... I suppose we best get started on making that good future... Now, remind me, just how much school have you missed?"

Gohan gulped.

* * *

Gohan sighed to himself as he flew to school, dreading the day ahead of him.

_ 'Stupid Cell... Now everyone knows who I am. Damn it!'_

Nevertheless, he knew he had to keep going. After all, he was the savior of the entire world. And the only thing he feared was his mother's wrath.

Still, best case scenario was that everyone in school treated him differently. Worst case? He would be mobbed by reporters and never get a moments rest.

_'Thankfully, they haven't been able to find my home in the mountains,'_ he comforted himself. At least he'd have a safe haven.

And now, he saw it: Up ahead were the unmistakeable skyscrapers of Satan City.

_'Huh, wonder if they'll be changing the name now,'_ he mused to himself, finally realizing that, now that the world knew _he_ was the savior, then it would know that Mr. Satan _wasn't_.

_'Wonder how they're taking that,'_ he chuckled to himself, instinctively reaching for his watch. However, he stopped himself. _'Everyone knows I'm Saiyaman, now. So what's the use of a disguise anymore?'_

So he did not transform, happy to, at least, never have to wear that outfit again. _'Honestly, I don't know why I let Goten design my Superhero persona...I know he's not the kind of person to do that just to humiliate me, but still. Oh, the things I do for you, Goten...' _he chuckled to himself, remembering his brother's excitement when he learned "Big Brother" was going to be a superhero, and that _he_ would be able to design the costume.

In his laughter, he forgot, momentarily, about the city below him: that is, until he heard gunshots below.

_'Damn it! What is with this city?'_ With a groan, he stopped and lowered himself directly into the firefight below.

"What the-" One of the robbers nearly soiled himself when he saw the new arrival descend from the skies. Whispers broke out among the crowd watching the fight: The Savior had returned.

"Yeah, if you could just surrender right now, that'd be great," Gohan said, his face showing naught but boredom.

The robbers considered this for a moment and, when they weighed the possibility of being able to defeat the Slayer of Cell versus the pain they would receive, they immediately threw down their guns and toward the police to be arrested.

Satisfied, Gohan began to levitate, when suddenly one of the reporters managed to snap out of her shock.

"Excuse me! Mr. Son! Can I have a moment?"

Groaning, Gohan rubbed his hands through his hair.

"Yeah, sorry, I kind of got to get to class..." Without another word, he took off.

However, the reporter was no amateur. Flipping out his cellphone, he quickly dialed a number.

"Hey, Frank? It's me, Sayoko. Son Gohan is on route to Orange Star High."

* * *

"Hey! Watch it!" Erasa shouted as she was knocked over by someone running too fast, knowing well that it was on purpose.

As she got up, she managed to get a good look at who knocked her over: Eric Lemark. Just two weeks ago, he was practically begging her to take him on a date, which she now realized was only because of her relation to the Satans.

_'Funny, how easily people hide from the truth,'_ she thought bitterly, picking up her books as quietly as she could. _'Time for another hellish day at School... Damn it, Videl, Gohan. Where are you?'_

She had heard neither hide nor tail of either of them since the eventful day. She assumed Gohan was hiding out in his secret mountain home, as eager as ever to escape the spotlight. But it was Videl who worried her. She knew for a fact she couldn't be home (the Satan mansion had been repossessed, after all, and her father was still in a com), and the thought of what might happen to her on the streets of a world that previously worshiped her and now viewed her as the spawn of Satan... Well, Videl was a tough girl, that's for sure, but Erasa could not help but worry...

Sharpener had stopped coming to school altogether, having been subject to the same taunts and abuse that Erasa was experiencing. Instead, he started enrolling in the Turtle School, driven practically insane in his quest to prove that he was better than the Satans and Gohan. However, after a week, he had overexerted himself during one of his ki training exercises, and now was in the hospital. Erasa would have gone to see him, but quite honestly, she was starting to see the truth about what kind of person he was.

So Erasa had been going to school alone, ostracized and ridiculed by all those who had previously fawned at her feet. While it was a hell unlike she had ever seen before, she was at least able to realize just who her friends really were. Unfortunately, one was hiding from the world and the other one could quite possibly be dead.

An unusual amount of chatter brought her out of her thoughts, and she looked up to see news reporters outside her high school. Timidly, not wanting to attract too much attention to herself, she walked forward, wishing to hear what the reporter was saying.

"... has not been seen ever since he defeated Cell once again more than a week ago. His friends say that he has been training in a secret training facility, but it appears he is returning to his school right now. We'll be giving you live footage of Earth's Savior right after this."

_'Go...han?' _Erasa's mind raced. Gohan was returning? Today? But would he even want to talk to her now? What would his reaction be? _'All I can do is wait for him, I suppose.'_

* * *

_'Well, here goes nothing...'_ Gohan steadied himself, not looking forward to this day.

_'… Damn it. Reporters,'_ he groaned, having seen the crowd awaiting below. Well, it's not like he walked in through the front door each day, anyway. Trying to ignore the shouts and cries from below as he passed over them, he landed on the roof of the school, happy that there was no one there today.

Taking one, last deep breath, he made his way into the school.

Cell had nothing on this.

* * *

Whispers broke out along the students, each pertaining to the new arrival. The new kid who had arrived a few weeks ago and was brushed off as a week nerd, but was, in actuality, the Savior of the world.

Gohan sighed. His Saiyan hearing allowed him to hear every bit of the "whispers", but at least they weren't all hounding him at once.

A pungent smell reached his nostrils: the smell of urine. He was able to trace it back to Mark Spencer, one of the jocks who had given Gohan a "hard time" ever since he arrived at Orange Star. It would seem that he soiled himself at the sight of the boy who he had picked on and now realized was the strongest person in the world.

Gohan shook his head. He didn't have time to deal with idiots like Mark. He just had to grin and bare it, and hope that Videl wouldn't chew his ear off now,

_'Wait a minute, I can't sense her ki!'_ He realized with a start, before finally managing to track her... in the slums. He relaxed a little. She was obviously on a police assignment. Hopefully she wouldn't need "Saiyaman's" help today, though. He cracked a grin as he realized he'd never have to wear his brother's costume ever again.

Lost in his thoughts, Gohan managed to walk down the rest of the hallway blissfully unaware of the stares and whispers directed at him. Going only by routine, he walked into his homeroom and sat by his seat in the window without realizing what was going on elsewhere.

"G-gohan?" the voice next to him practically whispered, causing him to turn his head to her with the familiar grin.

"Oh hey, Erasa! How are things?" He grinned, obliviously.

Erasa, did not take too kindly to this. "You dummy! I've been worried sick of you..."

Gohan scratched the back of his head, chuckling as his cheeks tinted red. "Yeah, sorry about that, Erasa. I've been... busy. So, uh,' he eyed the room, taking note of the glares and glances the other kids where giving him. "Did something happen here?"

Erasa's mood dimmed, though not as much as it had been the past few days. She was glad that Gohan was still acting friendly to her, at least. "Everyone's been on an anti-Satan crusade ever since, well, you know." She didn't want to speak of the incident with Cell, knowing that Gohan had lost someone that day. "And that includes Videl, and any of her friends."

"What? Videl?" Gohan gawked, unable to believe what his friend was saying. "Videl? After all she's done? The crimes she's stopped? The lives she's saved? God damn it, she freaking gets cats out of trees!" He was practically screaming now, and everyone cowered in fear as his voice rose. They did _not_ want to get him angry now.

Erasa chuckled to herself. _'I guess we have been forgetting all the good she did...'_

"Gohan, I'm worried about her," she bit her lip, eyes beginning to water. "I haven't seen her since that day, and, she... I..."

"... Damn it," Gohan muttered to himself, before getting up out of his seat. "I can't let this happen."

Before anyone could see what was going on, he was already at the door. The teacher shook in fear, unable to question this boy anymore.

Gohan smirked. "Bathroom," he called, before running out of the room.

* * *

Grinning to herself, Videl pulled out the bag of potato chips. Half eaten. This should be enough to tide her over.

She crawled out of the dumpster, taking a moment to dust off her clothes of the filth. She looked and smelled horrible, having forsaken taking care of herself a while back. Now, she was little more than a bum, rotting around other people's trash.

_'Well, it's what I deserve,'_ she sighed to herself, pouring a handful of chips into her hand and throwing them down her mouth

_ 'Damn it, Dad. Why did you have to lie?' _she clenched her fist, struggling to repress the emotions coming to the surface. _'You lied to the entire world, and to me, and for what? Money? Fame? And then, when it all came to pieces, what did you do? You went into a coma, hiding from the world after the stunt you pulled._

_'And you know what? I was PROUD to be your daughter. I was PROUD of you, even with all your mistresses and cheap, tacky publicity stunts. I was PROUD to be the daughter of the man who saved the world. I thought you were a fucking hero. But no. It was a lie. Everything'_

"It's all just a fucking lie!" She screamed, throwing the bag to the ground. She wasn't hungry anymore. She found it hard to care about such things. Why bother, when the truth was so horrible?

"Is it?" Videl blinked, not expecting an answer. Maybe she was just going crazy.

"Or are you just choosing for it to be?" The voice continued, and Videl began to recognize it. Looking behind her, it was with a gasp that she realized who was talking to her.

"The truth doesn't have to be so horrible, Videl," Gohan continued, eyes filled with worry as he spoke calmly and softly to the girl. "You can choose how to perceive it... Either use it to thrive in happiness, or wallow in despair."


	8. Chapter 8

"Gohan?" Videl strained her eyes as she looked at the new arrival, unable to fully believe that this was indeed him.

Gohan frowned, worried about his friend's dirtied appearance. 'M_an, she looks like she's been through a rough time...'_

"Hey Videl," he awkwardly smiled, trying to figure out what exactly to say. After all, this was a very different situation for him, and he was unsure how the famously short-tempered girl would react to his arrival.

"Why are... you here?" Videl croaked out, her throat parched and tired from this nightmarish week.

"I'm here to help you, of course," Gohan smiled gently, taking a step forward.

. Videl, however, took a step back. "_Your_ help? What makes you think I need _your_ help? I just found out my life was all a lie, and that it should have been _you _who got the money and the fame and, and, and..."

She burst into tears, still unsure on just why she was so upset. Within seconds, two warm arms reached around her, a gentle whisper breathing words of comfort into her ear as she cried her heart out.

"Ssh... there, there, Videl... It's all right," Gohan gently stated, his fingers running through the girl's hair in an attempt to sooth her spirits.

Somewhere deep in the girl's delirious mind, she realized that Gohan was trying to help her. Gohan, whom she had accused and suspected, stalked and berated. The very same boy- no, _man_\- from whom her entire life was stolen. Her identity, her dreams, her existence- it was all a lie.

A lie stolen from the very man who was now comforting her.

A faint chuckle escaped her lips.

"Figures that you'd be the only one willing to talk to me," she laughed humorlessly, staring at the boy trying to comfort her with a dead look in her eyes. "You always were too good for us."

"Videl..."

"You were always just taking my abuse with a grin, even if you could just kill us all with a single glance," she continued, seemingly not even hearing him. "No matter how often we put you down, you would always just continue on with a smile on your face. Even to me," she grimaced. "the daughter of the man who stole everything. The same girl who used that damned lie and hung it over everyone's neck while you were off saving the world. I'm just a worthless..."

"That's not true!"

Videl raised her head quizzically, startled by the boy's sudden outburst.

"Videl, I saw you leap out of a helicopter onto a hijacked bus," Gohan grabbed her shoulders and stared her directly in the eyes, suddenly angry. "I saw you dive headfirst into a burning burning. And why?" he snapped at her, his hands shaking with barely contained rage "Was it because of who your father was? Was it because of your fame? _No_! _You_ saved those people."

Noticing the quivering figure beneath him, Gohan took a deep breath. He _really_ needed to not freak out like that.

"I'm sorry, Videl," he sighed, letting go of her shoulders and slumping down right next to her. "The truth is.. I admire you." He couldn't help but let out a giggle at Videl's shocked expression.

"It's true," he continued. "I mean, not just anyone could save the day time and time again, like you."

"But... you did too, Saiyaman," Videl retorted, finally regaining a bit of her old self esteem.

Gohan chuckled. "I don't know if you noticed, Videl, but I'm not exactly normal. When I go out there and save the day, it's not like I have to worry about whether I'll live or die. Bullets don't hurt me. I'm practically indestructible." Noticing Videl glaring at him like he was conceited, he decided to get to the point quickly.

"The point is, I don't have to worry about if I''ll live to see another day when I'm off playing superhero. But you," he smiled at her, causing her to look away for some reason. "You fight crime and save lives, despite not having any special powers."

Videl's eyes were on the verge of tears, her ability to stop them being long since gone. Those words... Words of comfort, pure and complete...

She gasped as she felt fingers turn her face back to the world savior next to her, smiling gently at her. Her mouth widened a bit as she looked into his deep, dark eyes, wondering how she never noticed just how beautiful they were.

"You risk your life to save others day in and day out, and that has nothing to do with who your father is."

Videl could hardly hear him speak, hypnotized as she was by those deep, caring eyes. She never _did_ notice just how cute he was... A blush stained her cheeks. No, she... she couldn't think like that. Especially not about him... Not after everything she's done...

"... I heard about how everyone's treating you," Gohan continued obliviously, snapping Videl back to reality. "Erasa's really worried about you."

"Erasa?" Videl blinked, surprised that her friend still cared so much for her.

Gohan smiled warmly. "Of course. She is your friend, after all." He reached over and grabbed her hand, squeezing it gently. "And so am I."

"Gohan..." Videl could not hold back the tears anymore, and within seconds she was wrapped by his strong arms, sobbing uncontrollably. But this time, it wasn't out of pure sorrow. No, now there was a tinge of hope as well.

"After everything you've done... it's not fair for them to tie you into all of this," Gohan soothed her as he gently rubbed her back.

"But... my father..."

"Didn't I always tell you that who your father was was meaningless?" Gohan smiled, letting go of her as she calmed down. "You're you, Videl. Not your father's daughter. So what if you're not the daugter of the world savior? That just makes everything you've done even _more_ impressive."

Videl blinked, struggling to take this all in. A faint trace of a smile crossed her lips as she finally came to terms with the truth.

"But," she frowned. "I mean, I've always been like this, living off my father's fame. And, well," she sighed, thinking about how pathetic this really was. "I don't know if I could change."

The two of them sat next to each other, both thinking to themselves. Finally, Gohan broke the silence.

"You remember the guy who sacrificed himself to kill Cell?"

"Um... yeah?"

"When I first met him, he was trying to kill me and everyone on Earth."

Videl gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. _'Did he _really_ just say...?'_

"When we first met, he hated me. Hated us. He didn't care at all about Earth, or anyone. He only lived to kill," he continued, marveling at Vegeta's life. "But he still found a reason to live, and was willing to die to protect everything he had grown to love."

He turned to the stunned girl next to him, a bitter smile on his face. "So don't tell me you can't change. Even the most evil people alive can change- if, of course, they want to."

Videl stared down at the ground, amazed. She wasn't too sure she understood all of this, of the man who had married Bulma Briefs, the richest woman on Earth, or of his apparent lust for blood... But, if he could change so dramatically, then could she really...?

"It's up to you to decide what to do with the truth," Gohan continued, not waiting for an response. "You can either continue to berate yourself for the lie... or move on, toward the future. And I'm, well..." he sighed. "A lot of this was my fault. I hid from _my_ truth for so long, and got you caught up in the lie. I know you can't really go back home," he smiled at her. "So, if you want to stay over at with me, I'd be glad to help you get back up on your feet."

Videl blinked, blushing bright red. _'Did he really...?'_

_'No,'_ she concluded. _'He doesn't realize the implications. He... He's just being friendly. Not asking for anything.'_

_ 'Not asking for anything...' _

This boy, the world savior, was so pure as to help the girl who tormented him and lived off his lie for so long, for nothing. She smiled. A real, true smile. Gohan was truly a better world savior than her father ever was.

"Ok, I'll come," she replied warmly, feeling, at long last, free. Free of her father, of the lie, of her fame. Free to finally find her own truth.

Gohan grinned at her, making her heart pump wildly. Grabbing her hand, he pulled her up looking down at her with a warm smile on his face.

Videl stared down at where their hands met, blushing at the contact. Staring up at her friend's gorgeous grin, she couldn't help returning it as he began to pull her out of the alley. Smiling to herself, Videl giggled a bit as she finally realized something.

'I guess the truth isn't really so bad, after all.'


End file.
